Automatic car-loader for grain.



Patentd Apr. 24, |900'.V

J. c. BEAN. AUTOMATIC CAR LOADER FOR GRAINY (Application filed` July 14,1899.)

ma Madan.,

we Noms Psmzs co, Mofourrya. WASHNGYON, nA c.

NITED STATES PATENT OFFICEo JOHN C. BEAN, OF SULLIVAN, ILLINOIS,ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF T O CHARLES D. COLE, OF SAME PLACE.

AUTOMATICA CAR-LOADER FOR GRAIN.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 648,064, dated April24, 1900.

Appiimion sled my 14, 1899. serial No. 723,816. (No model.)

To LZZ whom t may concer-lt:

Be it known that I, JOHN C. BEAN, a citizen of the United States,residing at Sullivan, in the county of Moultrie and State of Illinois,have invented certain new and useful Improvements in AutomaticCar-Loaders for Grain; and I do declare the following to bea full,clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enableothers skilled in 1o the art to which it appertains to make and use thesame, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to theletters of reference marked thereon, which form a part of thisspecification. Y I5 My invention relates to loaders for grain and thelike, and more especially to loaders intended and constructed for use ingraincars for receiving the grain or the like from the elevator or placeof storage and directing zo the same to or toward the ends of the car toevenly and properly distribute the material therein.

In the present state 'of the art it is not new to provide a rotating fanor distributer into I the path of the arms of which the grain isdelivered and which fan throws or scatters the grain broadcast beyondthe fan to distribute the same. In such devices,liowever,the grain isscattered, and although means have been provided for limiting to aslight extent the scattering of the grain it is not delivered in acompact or steady stream, the direction of which is completely withinthe control of the operator. It is, among other objects, one object rofmy invention to produce a loader which in use will overcome thedisadvantages above referred t0 and which is especially adapt-ed for useinthe ordinary grain-car, to produceA a loader adapted to be supportedin the car between the side central doors thereof, receive the grain,and deliver the same in compact steady streams to or toward the two endsof the car, to provide a loader which willnot split or crack the grain,and to provide means whereby the direction of the stream'of grain can beeasilyand quickly changed for properly distributing the grain to evenlyload the car.

A further object is to generally improve 5o and simplify theconstruction of such loaders. IVith such objects in view the inventionis embodied in the novel parts, arrangement, and combination of partshereinafter described, and particularly set forth in the claims.

In order that my invention may be understood, I have shown in theaccompanying drawings means for. carrying the same into practicaleffect; but I desire it to be particu-A larly understood that I do notlimit the imA 6o provements in their useful applications to theparticular construction which, for the sake of illustration, I havetherein delineated.

In said drawings, Figure 1 is a horizontal sectional view through thefan-casing and 6 5 showing the position which the device occupies in thecar. Fig. 2 is an end elevation of the loader. Fig. 3 :is a detail viewshowing one of the delivery-spouts and the means for adjusting andholding the same. 7o

Referring to the drawings, wherein like reference characters refer tolike parts throughout the several views, A indicates a fan ordistributer casing which is generally circular in plan and comparativelyshallow. This casing is provided in its top adjacent its periphery andat substantially diametrically opposite points with inlet-openings a forthe grain or other material and at opposite sides withsubstantially-tangential discharges, (indi- 8o n cated at B.) Suitablemeans for supporting the casing in the car above the floor thereof isprovided, which in the drawings are shown to be metal angle-beams C,secured one at each side in any desired manner tothe bottom 8 5 or lowerpart ofthe casing. These beams C are shown as extending across the carand being supported by the inner grain-doors, (indicated at D.) Abovethe fan-casing is a hopper E, adapted to receive the grain from a 9osuitable conveyer leading from the elevator or place of storage, andleading from the hopper to the inlet-openings ct are two chutes F. Thesechutes conveniently form means for supporting the hopper above thecasing. Suitable gates f are provided for controlling the inlet-openingsa.

Passing through central apertures in the top and bottom'of thefan-casing and extending above and below the same'is a vertical rooshaft G, journaled in bearings g, secured toA the top and bottom of thecasing A.

g indicates a collar or shoulder above the top bearing for holding theshaft in place in the bearings.

Secured to the shaft G below the casing in any desired manner is abelt-pulley H, on which runs a belt for rotating the shaft and which maybe operated vfrom any suitable or preferred source of power.

Secured on the shaft G within the fan-casing, as by a set-screw j, is asleeve or collar J, having secured thereto or formed therewith arms j',supporting at their outer ends a drum or circular partition K, which islocated approximately half -way between the center and circular wall ofthe fan-casing and does not extend quite to the inner edges of theinlet-opening a. Extending beyond the drum K are radial fan-blades L ofsubstantially the same shape and size as the vertical cross-area of thespace combined between the drum K, top, bottom, and circular wall of thecasing A. The blades L are shown as being connected to the drum byangle-bars Z, suitably secured to the drum and to the blades, as byrivets or bolts` l. It is evident that other means of securing theblades may be employed--as, for instance, by extending the arms j'beyond the drum and securing the blades directly thereto.

l\;[ indicates discharge-nozzles, one for each discharge B. The nozzleis square in section at the attaching end, merging into a cone at itsother end. Each nozzle is rigid and is exibly connected to itsdischarge, so that it may be set and held at different angles in orderto change the direction of the stream of grain discharged therefrom. Foreffecting this a series of teeth or projections fm are provided on thespout or a separate piece m secured thereto, with which a projection ortooth n on a dog N, hinged to the discharge B, is adapted to engage. Theteeth or projections m and the tooth n are each beveled on one side, asshown, which permits the spout to be turned on a pin or stud m",projecting from the discharge B and entering a hole or socket n in thespout, as a hinge, the dog riding over the teeth and catchingin anydesired one, and thereby holding the spout at the desired inclination.

In the use of a loaderconstructed as above described it will be readilyobserved that the grain enters the fan-casing not at the center, but inthe space between the drum and the outer wall of the casing. The area ofthe inlet-opening and of the discharge-opening being almost as great asthe annular space in the casing through which the cereal passes, thecereal enters the casing, passes through it, and is ejected in asubstantiallycompact stream, thus reducing the liability to breaking orsplitting of the grains to a minimum.

The apparatus is small, light, and readily changed from its position inone car and set up for operation in another, and when so placed theadjustable nozzles can be set and Hxed at the desired inclination, whichcan be easily and quickly changed as necessity requires.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secureby Letters Patent, is-- 1. In a loader for grain and the combination, ofa fan-casing provided with supporting means, and havinginlets andtangential discharges, a rotary fan in the casing, means for operatingthe fan, spouts movably connected with said discharges, and means forholding said spouts in adjusted positions, substantially as set forth.

2. In a loader for grain and the like, the combination, of a fan-casinghaving a tangential discharge and an inlet adjacent the periphery of thecasing, a circular grain-pas sage in said casing having nearly the samecross-area as the inlet and discharge, a fan working in said passage,and means for 0perating said fan, substantially as set forth.

3. In a loader for grain and the like, the combination, of a fan-casing,having a tangential discharge and an inlet adjacent the periphery of thecasing, a fan in said casing, a drum secured to said fan and formingwith the outer circular wall of the easing a grainpassage of nearly thesame cross-area as that of the inlet and discharge, and means foroperating the fan, substantially as set forth.

4. In a loader for grain and the like, the combination, of a circularfan-casing having a tangential discharge, and an inlet adjacent theperiphery of the casing, a fan in the casing, a discharge-nozzle movablyconnected to said discharge, means 'for holding the discharge-nozzle inadjusted positions comprising a dog hinged to said discharge, and aseries of projections or teeth on said dischargenozzle with which thedog is adapted to engage, substantially as set forth.

5. In a car-loader for grain and the like, the combination, of afan-casing, beams secured to the casing and adapted to rest on and besupported by the inner grain-doors of the car, a hopper above saidcasing having chutes leading to the casing at points adjacent theperiphery thereof, opposite tangential discharges for the casing, afan-shaft passing centrally through said casing and having a belt-pulleysecured thereto, bearings secured to the top and bottom of said casingfor said shaft, and a fan secured to said shaft within said casing,substantially as set forth.

In testimony whereof I aliix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

JOHN C. BEAN.

Witnesses:

C. H. BRADLEY, WM. GIBSON.

like, the

IOO

